The Little Witch II – Journey to Atlantica
by elledottore
Summary: Twelve years after the events of The Little Witch, Elphaba and Fiyero have a comfortable life in Ix with their six year old daughter. But what will happen when an old friend of Elphaba's comes to ask for a favor? Fiyeraba, AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I'm back! So ever since I finished The Little Witch, I've gotten a few requests for a sequel. And at first, I was opposed to the idea because I wanted to move on to other things, and I didn't really have any ideas for a sequel. But then, I was bored one day and watched some clips of The Little Mermaid II online, and I had a eureka moment. And this story is the result.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

"And then what happened, Mama?" I had told my six year old this story many times, but she always behaved as though she was hearing it for the first time.

"Well, your father caught up to me," I said. "And he tried to tell me who he was, but I didn't believe him. So I slapped him."  
Melrina giggled, like she always did when I got to that part. "You slapped Daddy?"

"I did. I didn't have my voice, so I couldn't scream at him, so slapping him was the next best thing. But then he started telling me things only he would know, and I realized it was him."

"And you kissed him?" Melrina asked knowingly.

I smiled at my daughter's straightforwardness; she was just like me in that regard. "Yes. Yes, I did. And now, I'm going to kiss you." I stood up and did so, tucking her in tighter as well. "Good night, Mel."

"Mama?" Melrina called as I was approaching her door. "Can you tell me about the time Auntie Glinda made you wear one of her dresses?"

"No, sweetie. It's getting a little late. Maybe tomorrow night, okay?"

She sighed. "Alright. Good night, Mama."

"G'night." I quietly closed her door and made my way down the hall to the master bedroom. I entered to find Fiyero propped up on his side, grinning from ear to ear. I let my lips curl into a smirk. "What're you so happy about?"

"I overheard the story Mel wanted you to tell her," he answered. "That was pretty funny. I remember you complained through the whole party." We laughed together at that, but then Fiyero's smile faded as he apparently thought of something. "And I also overheard the story you actually told her."

I nodded. "It's one of her favorites. I think that's because I slap you." I sat down beside him on the bed and put my arm around him.

"Right. Y'know, my face is still smarting from that slap …"

"Oh, pigspittle! You and I both know you couldn't feel anything! That was the whole point of my spell."

He smiled in acknowledgment. "True. So true." We both laid down on the bed, I read for a little bit, and then I turned off the light. Fiyero, as usual, went to sleep almost immediately. I, also per the usual, needed a little time for my mind to calm down. It had been twelve years since we had left Oz. We had settled in Ix, a very sheltered country that knew precious little about anything in Oz, let alone my reputation. Fiyero soon began to plant corn to make money, and I got a teaching job at the local primary school. And yes, it took Fiyero more than five years to convince me to have a kid. Honestly, I didn't think I could take care of myself, much less another little person! But once I first saw Melrina, I knew that I always wanted her, however subliminally. In my mind, she seemed to have the best of Fiyero and I: his optimism and looks, and my brains. And twelve years after leaving Oz, my past there appeared to be very distant.

But I still thought about it every once in a while. I read about all of Glinda's accomplishments in the papers: better water conditions for Munchkinland, sorcery scholarships to Shiz for disadvantaged Quadling students, and most of all, the reversal of all of the Wizard's Animal laws. I knew she did that last one for me, to honor my "memory." But I tried to replace my dismay that she could never know that I was alive with pride of my friend's career.

And I thought of Manek. I had told Fiyero about him, an edited version of the truth, leaving out the hand-kissing and the dancing and our almost-kiss in Southstairs. After all, nothing really romantic happened between us, at least not on my side, and what Fiyero didn't know wouldn't hurt him. I often wondered if Glinda had gotten around to releasing the Wizard's political prisoners, including Manek. If so, I hoped he had reconciled with his mother and finally gotten the chance to spread the ideals he valued so much. If not, I hoped he was at least comfortable in Southstairs.

The next morning, it was a Saturday, so we all slept in. Still, I was the first one to get up, because that's just how my mental clock works. I made pancakes, and just as I was finishing up, my nightowl husband and daughter finally stumbled into the dining room. Melrina unfortunately had also inherited Fiyero's aversion to getting up any time before 9 in the morning. On weekdays, it was a job to get her up for school.

But most of her sleepiness went away when she saw what was for breakfast. "Pancakes!" she exclaimed happily. "Daddy, look! Mama made pancakes!"

"So I see," Fiyero said drowsily, practically falling into a chair. He looked about ready to fall back asleep on the dining room table.

"None of that this morning, Mister Tigulaar," I scolded him lightly. "Didn't you say you wanted to weed the fields today?"

A glimmer of recognition flashed in his glassy eyes. "Oh yeah. Screw when I said that."

"Fiyero! Language! And in front of Melrina!"

"It's okay," Melrina said with a giggle. "Yesterday in school, Pinn said an even ruder word, and Mrs. Glossai didn't even notice."

"But you would never use a word like that, I hope," I said to her.

She scrunched up her nose in disgust. "No! Of course not! I think Pinn's a smug boar!" She, naturally, had learned that expression from me, during the many times she requested that I tell her about my old tormentor from Shiz: Avaric of Tenmeadows.

After breakfast, Fiyero was much more awake. He went out to weed while Melrina started on her homework. Yes, primary schoolers had homework now, a notion that was unheard of in my day. Since I worked at the same school Mel attended, I was required to give my students homework, but I always gave them the minimum amount. Children should be allowed to be children.

I had just finished washing dishes when Melrina called from the dining room table, "Mama?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I'm stuck. Can you help me?"

"Of course." I went over to her and looked over her set of subtraction problems. "Where are you stuck?"

"It's this one," she answered, pointing to 51 – 17. "I can't remember how to start it."

"Okay, remember we have to add a one to the one's column? What would that leave you with?"

"11 – 7?"

"Which is?"

"4! So, the one's column is 4!" She excitedly wrote that down on her worksheet.

"Right! And then what would you do in the ten's column?"

"5 becomes 4, doesn't it? So, 4 – 1 is 3! So, the answer is 34!"

"Exactly! Good job! I only had to help you a little bit on that one!" We shared a grin, but just then, someone knocked on the door. I quickly put away my dishcloth to go answer it.

When I opened the door, I was a bit stunned to see none other than Ursula. "Elphaba, darling!" she greeted me happily. "How wonderful it is to see you! Your husband told me you would be in here. And, might I say, he is still quite handsome after all these years! May I come in?"

"O-Of course," I said as I ushered her into dining room, still shocked at her presence. "Please have a seat."

Ursula did so, and then turned to Melrina, who was now completely distracted from her homework. "Hello, little one. What's your name?"

"Melrina," she replied cautiously. "Mama, who is this?"

"This is Ursula, love," I said. "I've told you about Ursula."

Mel's face immediately turned into a scowl. "You took Mama's voice, didn't you? Mama's told me all about you!"

"But I've also told you that she saved my life," I reminded her. "And obviously, she gave me my voice back, otherwise I couldn't have told you anything about anything!"

"I still don't trust her," Mel said, looking at Ursula warily.

Ursula seemed to unfazed by all this, and even chuckled a little. "Oh, Elphaba, she is you! It's adorable!" She addressed Melrina again. "You have Mommy's skepticism, don't you, little one?" But Mel was now pretending to be absorbed in her homework. But Ursula, once again, brushed this aside and turned back to me. "I've been so busy with my work. I set up shop in Ev, doing magic for money and … other things. It's been a pretty steady business, so I've had no time to check on you. But it seems like you're thriving wonderfully here in Ix. From his activities out in the garden, I can only assume that Fiyero has taken up farming, but what do you do?"

"I teach," I answered. "I work at the same school Mel goes to. I don't teach sorcery, even though I would very much like to. Fiyero keeps insisting that I make a request to the principal for an elective sorcery class, but I've only been teaching there for a little over ten years, so I don't think I have the … rapport I need to make such a request. Yet."

Ursula waved her hand dismissively. "Ah, primary school kids are too young to learn magic anyway. Don't want them blowing up the school or turning their teachers into frogs, now do we?"

"You have a point there, but what about children who are like you and I were? We never had anyone teaching us about our magic."

Ursula was about to respond when Fiyero came into the house triumphantly. "The fields are officially weed-free!" he declared to us. He went over to Melrina and clapped her on the back. "Hey Melly Belly, how would you like to help your old Dad put these weeds in the grinder, huh?" Yes, he had taken to calling her Melly Belly when she was a baby, partly to get a rise out of me, and unfortunately, the name had stuck.

"I'd love to!" Melrina said happily. "Mama, can I? I'm almost done with my homework, and I'll finish it as soon as I get back."

I smiled at her enthusiasm. "Of course you can. Just be careful; that grinder could take a finger if you're not!"  
"Okay!"

Ursula spoke again once Fiyero and Melrina were out of earshot. "There's trouble in the ocean. I've been watching it. I've told you about my half brother, Triton, but I also have a half sister, Morgana. We have the same renegade cephalopod father, but while I got a queen of the sea for a mother, she got some common mermaid hussy. No, I shouldn't say that about Titannia; she was a good surrogate mother to me once I was banished. In fact, sometimes I think she loved me more than her own daughter!" She laughed briefly. "Morgana and I were very close; we did practically everything together as girls. So naturally, since I faked my death, she has become … distraught. And that's a nice way of putting it. Most of the merfolk refer to her as 'Ursula's crazy sister.'" She gave me a knowing look. "I know you are all too familiar with that concept."

"Indeed I am," I said. "Although, most of Oz saw me as the crazy one. Nessa was just a plain old tyrant to them. Ursula, I know you. Despite your good side, I know you wouldn't have bothered to come here unless you wanted something from me, so just tell me."

"You know me too well," she said with a grin. "I want you to help me stage an intervention for Morgana. She's blamed my 'death' on Triton, and she's planning to steal his crown. And much as I sometimes hate my foolish little brother, he is the most qualified person in that ocean to be king. You got me off a wild rampage, Elphaba. Maybe you can do the same for Morgana."

"You're lucky spring break starts next week," I said with a sigh. "I'm in, if only because even if I wasn't, you'd find some way to convince me."

She beamed. "Fantastic! I'll work on making a portal to my world while you put some last minute knowledge into those skulls full of mush, and we'll leave Friday afternoon!" But then, she seemed to remember something. "Ooo, there's one part of this whole thing that you are NOT going to like!"

"What is it?" I asked, bracing myself for the worst.

"Oh, I can already hear you saying how ridiculous this is, and how you're not gonna do it …"

"For Oz's sake, Ursula, just spit it out!"

I could tell she was forcing herself to continue. "You know, of course, that the sea kingdom is, well, in the sea, and you're a human, so you wouldn't really survive in the sea, and so … oh God you really are going to hate this, but you're going to have to be a little … less human. That is … you're going to have to be a mermaid."

 **There you have it! Thanks for reading this extra long exposition chapter.**

 **Cheers,**

 **Elle Dottore**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My world froze right there, just like it had done twelve years earlier when Ursula had proposed that I give up my voice for a normal appearance. That had seemed preposterous enough at the time, but this … I didn't even know what to say to it. I eventually managed, "No. No! I'm not doing that! That's ridiculous! You're ridiculous for thinking I would consider something like that! I am not-…"

"Can I get a word in edgewise, please?" Ursula yelled over me. "You were willing to help me before-…"

"Before I knew you wanted me to grow fins!" I interjected angrily. "Every time we meet, you're always trying to get me to do something insane. I'm thirty four; I'm too old to go romping around as a _mermaid_." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fiyero usher Melrina to her room.

"You're thirty four? Well, I'm seventy one; I've got a lot of years on you, and I'm not too old to go back and help my sister, and I was expecting you, as a friend, to support me. Especially after the favor I did for you back when you were Miss Wicked Witch."

I scoffed. "Favor?! I couldn't talk for nearly three months, all the while having to listen to all the lies about me and mine which I literally could not refute. It was hell for me!"

"Oh yes, absolute hell, having people treat you like a normal person and dancing with your little boyfriend who I'm sure your husband knows nothing about," Ursula said dryly. "You know me well, Elphaba, but I know you too. I know you're only refusing this because you finally have the normal life you've always wanted, and you don't want to screw it up. Well, I really need your help. Morgana needs to see you first so she doesn't think I'm a ghost, and then panic, and then destroy the entire ocean. Sometimes it's best if people work together. I thought your perky blonde friend taught you that." She was using guilt, but damned if wasn't working.

"Well, can't you just give me the ability to breathe underwater?" I asked, desperately to find some alternative to … _this._

"A human in Atlantica would cause mass hysteria," Ursula explained with a sigh. "My brother's army makes the Gale Force look like refined gentlemen. Trust me, it wouldn't go well for you."

I let out a long stream of air, overwhelmed by Ursula's latest scheme. "I'll think about it. I'll let you know before Friday."

Her face lit up like a Lurlinemas tree. "Fabulous! I'm staying at the Hillside Hotel in town if you want to find me."

I did not discuss my meeting with Ursula in front of Melrina, but after she had gone to bed, I spilled my guts to Fiyero. "I mean, she expects me, a wife, a mother, and a teacher, to just leave all of it behind and go on this ridiculous quest!" I ranted. "It's ridiculous! I'm not cut out for that. In the stories about mermaids that Mama used to tell me, they were graceful and delicate. I am neither! I would look like an idiot!"

"Just so you know, you've used the word 'ridiculous' about ten times during this conversation," Fiyero said calmly. "I think you're letting yourself get so caught up in the physical aspect of this whole thing that you're losing sight of the meat of the matter. Ursula obviously cares about her sister, something I know you can relate to, and she respects you enough to ask for your help. Of course, it's completely your decision whether or not you help her, but I don't think the fins should be a deciding factor." Despite the "brainless" façade he had put on when we were at Shiz, Fiyero sometimes had more common sense and wisdom than I did. But even he could not fully convince me.

Monday, of course, meant it was back to school for Melrina and me. I teach a lively class of fourth years, and at the beginning of the week, things were pretty normal. But something happened on Wednesday when we were reviewing the Ixaan Revolution. "Who can tell me the names of the two main leaders of the Ixaan Revolution?" I asked them. "Yes, Andra?"

"Yakus Gorrian and Livver Crommstone," Andra, one of my best students, answered confidently.

"Very good. Five brain points." I had set up a system where the kids could earn "brain points" if they answered a question correctly or did something else that showed their knowledge. These could be given back to me in exchange for a homework free night. "Now, after the revolution, what did Gorrian and Crommstone disagree on? Can I get someone else besides Andra?" My eyes narrowed when I saw whose hand was in the air: Davvad, our troublemaker. He did all of the typical troublemaker things, putting frogs on girls' desks and the like, and he was one of the few students that I had who dared ask the only question I did not permit: "Mrs. Tigulaar, why are you green?" That had earned him three days of detention. But even so, he might have had a legitimate answer this time, so I said, "Yes, Davvad."

"Well, it seems to me that Gorrian wanted more government over everyone, right?" he said nervously, clearly unsure of his answer. "But Crommstone, he didn't like that. He wanted everybody to be free and stuff. Is that right, Mrs. Tigulaar?"

I nodded. "Exactly. Five brain points. Now, who knows-…"

"But weren't they friends during the revolution?" Davvad interrupted me. "They both wanted the king gone. I asked my dad about them last night, and he said that Gorrian considered Crommstone like a big brother. Gorrian asked for his advice a bunch of times. I guess they were so worried about little stuff that they forgot the big picture."

I looked at him open mouthed. This nine year old had summed up how silly I was being without even realizing it. I glanced up at the clock and, thank Lurline, it was noon! "Yes, I guess you're right. Alright! It's time for you all to head to lunch! When we reconvene, we'll get into improper fractions." There was a collective grumble as they all got up from their seats. Improper fractions were a challenge for all of them.

While my class was in the cafeteria, I ate my own lunch and thought about the pearl of wisdom that had come from Davvad, of all people. He was right. Fiyero was right. I had to help Ursula. I _wanted_ to help Ursula. And if that meant looking like an absolute fool, so be it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! Here is Chapter 3!**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

On Wednesday afternoon, after school, I went to Ursula's hotel and told her that I was fully committed to our mission. She was thrilled, of course, and tried to convince me to take shots with her in the hotel bar. I declined, for the sake of my students' education. That night at dinner, I told Fiyero and Melrina my definite plans for spring break. Fiyero was completely supportive, as he always is when it comes to my plans in life. Mel was fairly quiet about the whole thing. I had a sneaking suspicion that she was less than happy with it, but I remembered how annoyed I would get at her age when people (most often Nessa) would ask me to tell them what was bothering me. She would tell me when she felt comfortable.

On Friday, none of my students were in the mood to learn, so instead we played some educational games that I had devised: Biology Basketball, History Hangman, and so on. I didn't bring out these games often so they would be a treat, but they caused every single one of my students to be interested in getting facts right. It was a win-win for all.

When I got home that afternoon, Ursula was sitting on our front porch. She grinned as I walked up the steps and sat down next to her. "Your husband would like to have one last night with you," she told me. "So we'll leave tomorrow at dawn. I've managed to use the nearby Ixxan River to make a clean gateway to my world. _And,_ I made the potion for your transformation today too, so I've had a pretty productive day!"

The mention of my "transformation" made me cringe. "Is there anything I need to do to prepare for this?"

Ursula shrugged. "Not really. Just wear something that's waterproof and easy to get out off. Don't want any wardrobe complications in the water."

"What, will I be naked?!" I asked, horrified at the prospect.

"No! Of course not! We merfolk may not have a lot of modesty, but we do have some. I have some shells for you, don't worry." That did not comfort me in the least, but there was no turning back now.

Fiyero made dinner that night, with Melrina's eager assistance, because, "Daddy can't cook to save his life!" We had a lovely meal, which evolved into a spirited game of Wordsmith: Melrina and myself against Fiyero. We beat him eventually, much to Mel's glee. As I waited for Melrina to finish her bath, I thought about how scared she had been of the water as a toddler, and how ironic it was that tomorrow, I would be immersed in the very thing that all of Oz thought had killed me.

After I told Melrina the story of me accidentally turning one of the neighborhood kids into a frog for the one thousandth time, I was about to leave her room when she called me back. "Mama?"

"Yes, sweetie?" I answered, coming back towards her bed.

"I don't want you to go with Ursula tomorrow."

"Why not?"

"I'll miss you!" she cried. "And you yourself said that Ursula was a crazy old witch. Why would you help her?"

"Because she's my friend and she trusts me," I said, wrapping my arms around her. "I've told you what she did for me. I have to repay her."

"But you did repay her! With your voice!"

"It's more complicated than that. She needs my expertise right now. Her sister is in a really bad place right now. We have to intervene before someone gets hurt. And, if this goes smoothly, I'll be back before you know it!"

"But what if you're not?" Her twisted up face screamed for reassurance.

"That's not gonna happen, Mel. Ursula wouldn't let anything happen to me, and I'm pretty good at protecting myself. Everything's going to be fine. You just need to go to sleep now and be good for Daddy while I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay, Mama," she said resolutely, seeming to realize that there was no convincing me to stay.

I kissed her. "That's my strong girl. Good night. I'm leaving very early tomorrow, but I'll come into your room to say goodbye if you want."

"Alright. Good night, Mama." I gave her a comforting smile as I left her room. If there was one thing my period of silence had taught me, it was that sometimes a simple gesture or expression could say so much more than words could.

"How is she?" Fiyero asked when I came into our room.

"Confused, worried for me," I replied as I got in bed with him. "I tried to explain it to her the best I could, but she still doesn't want me to go." I felt my whole body relax as he put his arms around me.

"Neither do I."

I looked up at him with surprise. "You don't? You should've told me that!"

"Nothing I could've said would have mattered. And it's only part of me that doesn't want you to go, the selfish part. The other part of me knows that this is what you're best at. I could never hinder you like that."

I took a clock tick to contemplate this. "You don't mind being married to someone who seems to always be caught up in something?"

"No, of course not!" he insisted. "I _relish_ being your husband, Fae! Looking back at all you've done since I met you, and how you've managed to survive it all, I just think, 'Wow. That girl choose _me_.' And then I feel indescribably lucky. And even though I'm worried for you, I'm confident that you're going to come home to me and Mel in one piece. Because that's what you do! You get through stuff! Even if you don't manage to save Ursula's sister or whatever, if you still return to me, that would be enough. More than enough, Fae."

"Oh, Yero …" That was all I could get out before we were locked in a passionate embrace, caressing each other just as we had done twelve years earlier in the Gilikin Forest. We made love as though it was the last time we would get to do so. It was a comforting reassurance that no matter what I did, Fiyero would always be there, supporting me. For once, we went to sleep at about the same time.

The next morning, I got up before dawn and practically dragged Fiyero out of bed with me. I dressed in a simple black dress with a camisole underneath, because I knew I would rather have dinner with the Wizard and Madam Morrible than wear those shells. Our quiet breakfast was, of course, interrupted by Ursula. "Just FYI, Elphaba, I could unlock your door with a hairpin," she informed me. "You should really take care of that. I know a good protective charm if you need one."

"I'll take it into consideration," I said. "Would you like some eggs?"

She waved me away. "Nah, I had breakfast at the hotel. They have the best bacon ever!"

After breakfast, I slipped into Melrina's room. "Mel?"

The covers moved, and Mel sat up in bed. "Mama? Are you leaving now?"

"Yes, I am," I answered, sitting down on her bed. "Be good. Take care of Daddy. Think for yourself. Be smart, be strong, and I'll be back soon."

She launched herself onto me. "I'll miss you, Mama!"

"I'll miss you too, sweetie." I gave her an extra squeeze before holding her at arms' length. "I love you."

"Love you too." And with a quick kiss on her cheek, I left her room.

Ursula was impatiently waiting by the front door when I came back out into the living room, so I knew I had to make my goodbye to Fiyero fairly quick. Without even thinking, we fell into each other's arms. "Come home, Fae," he pleaded into my hair. "Please come home safe."

"I will," I said. "I promise." I hoped to myself that I would keep that promise. After a kiss that was probably more drawn out than Ursula would have liked, I left my family to start this unexpected adventure.

 **Yeah. I have no doubt that all you Hamilton fans totally did not miss Fiyero channeling Eliza in this chapter. To me, Fiyero and Eliza have quite the similar situation: they both love people who just cannot settle down. But then again, at least Elphaba didn't have an affair and then write a long essay about it …**

 **Anyway …**

 **Cheers,**

 **Elle Dottore**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The shore of the Ixaan River that was closest to where I lived was deserted at dawn, free of schoolchildren newly on break who might have wanted to go for a swim. It was amazingly clear water; some say it's the clearest water outside of Oz. But Ursula was not wasting any time admiring the river's cleanliness, so neither was I. "Looks like no one's around," she remarked. "That's a good thing. Alright, give your dress to me. I'll put it somewhere safe."

So, all the while looking around to see if anyone was watching, I got out of my dress and handed it to her. "Where will you put it?" I asked.

My question was answered when Ursula created a six inch deep hole in the ground. "I'll charm it so anyone who comes near this patch of ground will have an instinct to get away from it." She held a hand out to me. "Your undergarment, please."

"No," I said firmly. "I'm not wearing those shells. I'm willing to transform myself and go on this quest with you, but the shells are where I'm drawing the line. Deal with it."

"But you'll look so human!" Ursula protested weakly. "Alright, if you're not going to wear the shells, at least let me do this." And then she proceeded to undo my hair, pulling out about ten strands of it in the process. "Now, get in the water and drink this. It won't hurt a bit, I promise you that."

Ignoring the sinking feeling in my gut that this was all wrong, I took the bottle Ursula held out to me and stepped into the river. Because it was so early in the morning, the water lapped coolly against my legs, and then my stomach. But I barely noticed it. I still had a chance to say no, to run out of the water and back to my husband and daughter. But instead, I sighed, opened the bottle, and drained its contents. Immediately, I threw the empty bottle back onto the shore where Ursula could do what she wanted with it.

Not even a clock tick after that, I lost all feeling in my legs. I assumed they were joining together, but I had no desire to look down for confirmation. Because I now had no footing on the riverbed, I desperately swam to the shore and held onto it for dear life. Ursula, who was finishing up covering her hole in the ground, merely smiled at my discomfort. But it wasn't a cruel smile; it was just a knowing smile that seemed to say, _You'll get used to it._

Then, slowly but surely I could feel the lower half of my body again. But now, there was just one extremity below me instead of two. I turned away from the shore and forced myself to look down. There it was, completely visible under the clear water: a tail, as green as the rest of me, its scales shimmering in the dawn's light. It was like something out of a very strange dream … or a hallucination from Quadling grass. Take your pick.

"Well, don't just sit there like a lump!" a voice called from my right. "We've gotta get going!" I turned to Ursula about two feet upstream from me. I realized it was the first time I had seen Ursula in her true form, her six tentacles moving with the rhythm of the river. "You, of all people, gawking?! Yes, I've always had tentacles. No, I am not a mutant. No, I did not have a freakish surgery as a child." She gave me a knowing smirk. "Sound familiar? I, much like you, had to make that speech all the time in my youth. Now, come on! Flick your tail from side to side like a fish! It'll be really strange at first, but you'll get used to it, I promise."

"I hate this," I groaned as I pushed myself away from the shore. But, I did as she instructed, moving my tail (that I still was in disbelief about) and my arms simultaneously as I swam towards Ursula. "Your sister better be a saint for this," I told her ruefully once I reached her.

Ursula laughed heartily. "She is! At least when she's not mad with grief. But that's what we're going to take care of, isn't it? Now, that was good for your first swim, but you're still swimming a little bit like a human. Don't move your arms as much. Your tail is strong enough to propel you on its own. You don't use your arms to walk, do you? Try it. The portal is only about a mile upstream, so you have a little time to practice before we're in the open ocean."

"How do you know how to swim like a normal mermaid if you've never been one?" I asked, trying to challenge myself by swimming and talking at the same time.

"Well, as you know, transformation is my specialty," she answered. "When I was about sixteen, I figured out a way to change my tentacles into a tail. I was so excited that I decided to wait until the next royal ball to debut my new look. I taught myself how to swim with a tail, I had some new shells made just for the occasion … I was ready! I made a grand entrance that night, feeling the prettiest I had felt in my whole life. But as soon as I swam in, it was all, 'Ursula thinks she's so pretty!' 'Ursula's trying too hard!' And of course, my idiot of a little brother led the taunts. I rushed out of the room in tears. Then, that night, my father, or the father that raised me, gave me the whole spiel about 'concealing my powers' that I had heard a million times before. So, long story short, that's why I know how to swim like a mermaid, and that's why I never tried to do it again."

By the time we reached Ursula's portal, swimming with a tail felt almost (emphasis on _almost_ ) normal. From my studies at Shiz, I knew that portals came in all kinds of varieties: some couldn't be seen with the untrained eye, some required an incantation to go through, and so on. I could see the edges of Ursula's portal, the inside a dark blue. "Do we just go through?" I asked her. "Or is there …?"

"No spells needed," Ursula confirmed. "Just follow my lead. We're going to have to go underwater, and the most important thing for you to remember is not to hold your breath. I know that's a simple human instinct, but you gonna have to let that go if you want your lungs to start treating water like air. Got that?"

"I think so." I understood what she was saying, but damned if it didn't frighten me to death. Actually going underwater without holding my breath … but Ursula was already under the water, so I barely had time to think before I quickly followed her.

I didn't have any time to notice my underwater breathing before we were sucked up by the portal. For anyone who has not experienced the delights of going through portals, it's essentially having every atom in your body vibrate violently for about five seconds before you are thrust out to your destination. And believe me, those five seconds can seem like five hours sometimes.

But soon enough, we were out of the portal, and in the biggest body of water I had ever seen in my life. The mythical ocean of Mama's stories, not so mythical after all. And it was absolutely teeming with life. Fish of all shapes and sizes darted about, some in schools, and some on their own. It was only after a while of watching these fish that I fully registered that I was breathing underwater. It was the strangest phenomenon I had ever experienced. Though I could feel water surrounding my whole body, it still felt like air was going through my lungs! The mystical science behind all this was beyond me.

I was a little embarrassed when I noticed Ursula grinning amusedly at my wonder. "So, being a mermaid isn't so 'ridiculous' after all, is it, little witch?" she said with a smirk. "I love ocean life too, but we have to get to Copenhagen. Right now, we off the shores of France. I know those places mean nothing to you, but we basically have to go north and then east."

"Is Copenhagen where Atlantica is?" I asked, barely registering how stupid that question must have sounded due to my amazement that I was _talking_ underwater.

"Atlantica is about fifty miles offshore from Copenhagen," Ursula answered. "Copenhagen is where Ariel lives with her husband and daughter, and of course Atlantica is the capital of the mer-kingdom. Morgana is probably lurking near Copenhagen, waiting for another opportunity to make more threats. We just have to stop her before she acts."

We swam north for the rest of the day. For lunch and dinner, we ate fish. That was my first time eating meat in years, but Ursula convinced me that the fish were not sentient, and they were our only food source anyway. Swimming in this vast expanse of water, I couldn't help but compare it to flying on a broom. The ocean seemed endless, just like the sky, and once again, gravity was not a factor in my life.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, I woke up slowly, disoriented. _Why am I lying on sand? Why is everything so … blue?_ Then, the events of the previous day came back to me. Right. I had allowed myself to look ridiculous for the sake of Ursula's crazy mission. Not wanting to fully accept this notion, I lay on the sand for a little bit, thinking about what I had left behind: Fiyero and Melrina. She was probably asking him why I was gone, something neither of us could successfully explain to her. Poor thing. I always hoped she would have a normal childhood, unlike me …

"Salmon! Breakfast is served!" I got out of my thoughts to see Ursula holding up two dead salmon which she was obviously very proud of killing.

I took one from her. "You could have woken me up to help."

"Ah, I wanted you to get some extra sleep after your rather eventful day yesterday," she said dismissively. "I imagine this must be a big adjustment for you."

"No shit."

Ursula laughed heartily at that. "Oh, Elphaba, your bluntness amuses me to no end! But really, as I said yesterday, you'll get used to it. Why, when this is over, you'll probably have to get re-accustomed to walking again."

I really did not want to dwell on that subject too much, so I said, "Tell me more about Morgana. What's she like?"

"Mmm, very talented, but very pretentious. Since she was not brought up in a royal environment as I was, she could use her powers whenever she pleased. And boy, did she use them! When we were girls, Morgana would have used her powers to breathe if she could! I suspect this was a ploy to get more attention from her mother, who, as I told you, favored me over her when we were young."

"But you said you didn't know the sea king wasn't your father when you were a girl. How did Titannia even have contact with you?"

"She surreptitiously got herself a job as my mother's maid, so Morgana was always hanging around the palace. We didn't know we were sisters until we were eighteen; Mama and Titannia sat us down no more than two days after Morgana's eighteenth birthday, and they told us the truth. I think I always suspected it; I looked nothing like King Poseidon. And then of course, when _he_ found out that I wasn't his daughter, his relationship with my mother was never the same. And he used it as just another reason why I was unfit to be queen."

"Outrageous," was the word I could find sum up all that. "Didn't you ever try to reclaim your throne?"

"Twice," she answered. "Once when I was about thirty, and once while you were prancing about Oz as Illinora, enchanting young Vinkun men with your eloquent eyes." She gave me a fake glare of disapproval.

I laughed. "What is that supposed to mean?! I did not 'enchant' anyone, at least not on purpose!"

"But you did! Manek _doted_ on you! It was delicious to watch! The man had no hope, none at all!"

"Speaking of Manek, do you know how he is?" I asked her. "I know you said you don't have much time for that nowadays …"

"I haven't checked on Oz in a while," Ursula admitted. "Mainly because you're not there anymore. But I do know that Glinda released Manek from Southstairs personally, and then he made the poor thing cry by telling her that he knew you. It was bizarrely both amusing and disturbing at the same time."

We made it about a hundred miles that day, stopping to rest off the coast of a country Ursula called "England." She insisted that I stay at a hotel while she kept herself hidden nearby. So, I accepted her fifty mares (merfolk money) and spent the night at the Coral Inn. Fifty mares got me the cheapest of rooms, with just a bed and a washroom but Lurline knows, I'd slept in worse places in my day.

Since there wasn't much to do in my room, I went over to the hotel bar that evening, curious to see how a bar could even function underwater. I soon got my answer. Drinks were fed through water tight tubes into what resembled children's sippy cups. Fascinated by this, I ordered a beer (I was lucky it was happy hour), and settled myself down on a barstool, hoping the drink would take my mind off things.

Presently, an elderly merman sat down next to me. He took me in for about five clock ticks (there was no doubt in my mind what he was staring at), and then simply said, "Nice. I like it."

"Um … thank you," I said, unsure whether to take that as a compliment or not.

He introduced himself. "I'm Arron. I'm too old to be this drunk, but here I am. I came over here because you remind me of a girl I once knew in my youth. Very powerful, could change the weather and all that, but everybody thought she was a demon, 'xcept me and a couple other people. She was in love with me, I knew, but I didn't give her a chance. And now she's dead. I was stupid. Young and stupid." He smiled at me crookedly. "Wanna see how you measure up?"

"I'm married," I told him firmly. "But I'm wondering, are you perhaps talking about the sea witch, Ursula?"

He looked surprised. "Why, yes! You knew her? Wait! I know you! You're that green girl Ursula would always go on about! Hang on, I know she told me your name at some point. It's El-something, isn't it? But aren't you human?"

"It's Elphaba, to answer your first question. As for your second question, that is a long story that I'd rather not get into at the moment." I downed the rest of my beer. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a bit faint. I need to get some fresh … uh … water." I fled the bar as fast as I could.

I found Ursula around the back of the hotel, hiding between two compost bins. She got up upon seeing me. "Elphaba!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing out here?"

"Arron's in there," I told her. "He's more than a little drunk, but he told me how he knew you, probably _because_ he was drunk. Would you like to see him?"

Her face was the palest I had ever seen it. "Arron? No! No! No one can know I'm alive just yet! Not even him. God, Arron …"

I sat down next to her. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"No!" she said forcefully. "Thank you. I think we both need to get some sleep." I knew not to press her, so I went back inside, avoiding the bar, and settled down for the night in my room. Despite my desire to respect Ursula's privacy, many questions ran through my head. What happened between her and Arron? Why was he not living in Atlantica? And how did Arron know about me if Ursula only discovered me when I started school?


End file.
